Woman connected to case set to stand trial for tampering charges

Nearly seven months after the body of Edgar Olivas was found in his Boulder County mobile home, the coroner has ruled that he died as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest.

But how Olivas, 37, sustained the fatal wound remains uncertain.

In a news release issued Friday, Boulder County Coroner Emma Hall said the manner of death has been ruled "undetermined." The finding indicated Hall could not definitively say whether his death was a suicide, homicide or accident.

It is also unclear how the coroner's ruling will affect the criminal case against Carla Bencomo, the woman authorities say was with Olivas at the time of the shooting and who is now facing charges of attempting to influence a public official and tampering with evidence in connection to his death.

Sheriff's deputies were called Jan. 3 to the San Lazaro mobile home park, near 55th Street and Valmont Road in Boulder County, and found Olivas dead inside with a gunshot wound to his chest.

According to prosecutors, Bencomo and Olivas had met about six months earlier and had gone on a few dates.

Bencomo, 35, told investigators that the night before Olivas' body was found she had dinner with him and accompanied him to his mobile home.

Bencomo said Olivas wanted to start a serious relationship but that she wanted to move out of the state to be closer to her mother.

She then told investigators that Olivas began showing her how to hold a gun, and while she was doing so, he said something to the effect of, "How far are you willing to go to pay for my death?" and pulled the gun toward his chest, causing it to fire.

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Bencomo said she panicked and wiped the scene down and then put the gun in Olivas' hand. She attempted to flee to Mexico, but family members later convinced her to turn herself in to police, which she did in Denver.

She was originally arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide, but charges only included one count of attempting to influence a public official and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

Bencomo has remained in custody at the Boulder County Jail since her arrest. She is being held on $250,000 bond.

She is set to stand trial Aug. 12.

Boulder County prosecutor Ryan Brackley declined to speak about the significance of the coroner's ruling when reached by phone Friday.

"We never stop investigating a case all the way up to the beginning of trial," Brackley said. "With the trial coming up, I can't comment."

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story

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